Recycling grant among items before City Council Thursday

A man drops off recyclables at the Henderson County Solid Waste Convenience Center last May. Thursday evening, Hendersonville City Council members will consider forgiving a $25,000 grant from a business that promised the funds if the city switched to rollout recycle carts.

Published: Thursday, January 9, 2014 at 1:30 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 8, 2014 at 7:01 p.m.

Hendersonville City Council will hear the latest appraisal report for the former Grey Hosiery Mill property during its 5:45 p.m. meeting at city hall.

Council members will also consider forgiving a $25,000 grant from a business that promised the funds if the city switched to rollout recycle carts.

The new carts were distributed to citizens over the yuletide season. On Monday, the city officially started collecting them instead of the previously used bins.

Ron Moore of American Recycling Inc., encouraged City Council in March to expand its recycling program, replacing its bins with larger rollout carts. He offered to provide a grant of $25,000 if the city continued to use his company's services and switched to the bigger carts. The grant was to be used to help offset the costs of the switch, which required an additional truck and staff to operate it.

The city agreed to the recycling revision, purchased the carts and included the grant fundss in the budget to cover it.

On Nov. 29, Moore told the city his business is struggling and asked for the city to release him from his $25,000 commitment. Moore is scheduled to face the council Thursday night.

City officials met Thursday morning to discuss the new recycling program and the costs and savings associated with it. The city also received a $75,000 grant from the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources to help purchase the carts.

The remaining $134,500 cost of the program will likely come from the city's environmental services fund — a pot of money funded by garbage fees and the city's general fund.

The city's current recycling program is saving $43,800 a year in tipping fees by diverting recyclables out of the landfill. The city hopes the savings will increase to $56,800 a year as people fill the larger carts.

On Thursday night, City Council will also consider refunding Miller's Laundry and Cleaners $10,875 in system development charges paid when the company relocated an existing operation to a new facility with water-efficient equipment that reduced its usage. Councilman Jeff Miller, who owns the business, will have to be excused from the vote.

The city is allowed to grant reimbursements of water system impact fees to businesses that relocate within the city and demonstrate a reduction in water usage over time.

City Council will also consider the creation of a business advisory committee to advise the board on policy issues that may affect local businesses — an idea broached by Councilman Ron Stephens. The committee would be manned by seven to nine members, initially serving three-year, two-year and one-year staggered terms. The committee would serve in an advisory capacity only.

Members would be required to own local businesses or commercial property within Hendersonville, but may not necessarily reside within the city. The committee would meet quarterly at lunch.

City Council will also discuss questions the staff has had concerning the three-year financing of system development charges. City Manager John Connet has prepared a memorandum describing these questions and requests of guidance from the city council to be presented to the board at the meeting.

<p>Hendersonville City Council will hear the latest appraisal report for the former Grey Hosiery Mill property during its 5:45 p.m. meeting at city hall.</p><p>Council members will also consider forgiving a $25,000 grant from a business that promised the funds if the city switched to rollout recycle carts.</p><p>The new carts were distributed to citizens over the yuletide season. On Monday, the city officially started collecting them instead of the previously used bins. </p><p>Ron Moore of American Recycling Inc., encouraged City Council in March to expand its recycling program, replacing its bins with larger rollout carts. He offered to provide a grant of $25,000 if the city continued to use his company's services and switched to the bigger carts. The grant was to be used to help offset the costs of the switch, which required an additional truck and staff to operate it.</p><p>The city agreed to the recycling revision, purchased the carts and included the grant fundss in the budget to cover it.</p><p>On Nov. 29, Moore told the city his business is struggling and asked for the city to release him from his $25,000 commitment. Moore is scheduled to face the council Thursday night.</p><p>City officials met Thursday morning to discuss the new recycling program and the costs and savings associated with it. The city also received a $75,000 grant from the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources to help purchase the carts.</p><p>The remaining $134,500 cost of the program will likely come from the city's environmental services fund — a pot of money funded by garbage fees and the city's general fund.</p><p>The city's current recycling program is saving $43,800 a year in tipping fees by diverting recyclables out of the landfill. The city hopes the savings will increase to $56,800 a year as people fill the larger carts.</p><p>On Thursday night, City Council will also consider refunding Miller's Laundry and Cleaners $10,875 in system development charges paid when the company relocated an existing operation to a new facility with water-efficient equipment that reduced its usage. Councilman Jeff Miller, who owns the business, will have to be excused from the vote.</p><p>The city is allowed to grant reimbursements of water system impact fees to businesses that relocate within the city and demonstrate a reduction in water usage over time.</p><p>City Council will also consider the creation of a business advisory committee to advise the board on policy issues that may affect local businesses — an idea broached by Councilman Ron Stephens. The committee would be manned by seven to nine members, initially serving three-year, two-year and one-year staggered terms. The committee would serve in an advisory capacity only.</p><p>Members would be required to own local businesses or commercial property within Hendersonville, but may not necessarily reside within the city. The committee would meet quarterly at lunch.</p><p>City Council will also discuss questions the staff has had concerning the three-year financing of system development charges. City Manager John Connet has prepared a memorandum describing these questions and requests of guidance from the city council to be presented to the board at the meeting.</p><p>Reach Weaver at emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.</p>